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UNITED NATIONS, Oct 12 (AFP): Resolute action to end discrimination against women and lower their
fertility rates is the key to meeting the ambitious goal of halving world poverty by 2015, according to a UN
report released today.
The report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) urged world leaders to fulfil promises made to
the world's women and young people as part of poverty reduction goals agreed five years ago and
reaffirmed at a UN summit here last month.
"Investing in women and girls makes sound economic and social sense," according to UNPFA's State of
World Population 2005, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of the UN charter that enshrined gender
equality. "Failure to do so may entrench poverty for generations to come."
"This is because discrimination leads to lower productivity and higher health costs. It also results in higher
death rates among mothers and children and significantly threatens efforts to reduce poverty around the
world," it added.
The report, titled "The Promise of Equality: Gender Equity, Reproductive Health and the Millennium
Development Goals," noted that despite new laws and programmes to improve the lot of the world's poorest
women, "the pace of change is far too slow".
In the field of education, the study noted that today, 600 million women are illiterate as compared to 320
million men.
It made the case that secondary education for women and girls had been shown to translate into improved
economic prospects, better reproductive health, improved AIDS awareness and more enlightened attitudes
toward practices such as female genital mutilation.
"While access to primary education is increasing, only 69 per cent of girls in southern Asia and 49 per cent
in sub-Saharan Africa complete primary education. At the secondary level, the gap is even wider, with only
47 per cent and 30 per cent enrolment in southern Asia and sub- Saharan Africa, respectively," it said.
AP adds: The U.N. Population Fund's executive director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said at the report's launch
in London: "We cannot make poverty history until we stop violence against women and girls."
The report said gender equality and better reproductive health could save the lives of 2.0 million women
and 30 million children over the next decade - and help lift millions around the world out of poverty.
In 2000, the U.N. agreed to eight Millennium Development Goals, which include halving extreme poverty,
achieving universal primary education and stemming the AIDS pandemic, all by 2015.
The report said one of the targets - promoting gender equality and empowering women -- is "critical to the
success of the other seven."
Gender discrimination, the report said, lowered productivity and increased health care costs and mortality.
Improving women's political, economic and education opportunities would lead to "improved economic
prospects, smaller families, healthier and more literate children, lower HIV prevalence rates and reduced
incidence of harmful traditional practices."
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